I wake at 5 am. I choose to sleep in the truck versus rolling out my bedroll. I never sleep well like that or maybe it was just the anticipation of what awaited me at sunrise.
I fire up my little backpack stove and heat some water, instant coffee will have to suffice this morning. I am no connoisseur of such things but out in the real world I really dislike instant. But here, in the wild open spaces, is tastes just fine.
As I sip my morning brew a slight ribbon of pink appears on the horizon to the east. The air is once again dead calm, and nothing seems to be stirring. But I know out in the darkness that there are predators, just like me, hunting...
During the night the wind has switched again, its coming from the northeast. I will travel south a couple miles and make my first stand of this new day there. As I get set up, the landscape in front of me begins to appear out of the darkness. Slowly...slowly...God is turning on the dimmer switch and lighting up the world. I wait until I can see well before I make my first sounds. I opt for a female long howl... A pair quickly responds...then another...long ways off but close enough. We carry on a conversation for a bit until thru my glass a couple new bumps appear on a distant ridgeline.. It is the first pair that responded and they are pacing and scoping out this intruder. I start a few low volume distress. They seem interested but just wont commit. I take my eyes from them for a few moments and begin scanning for any other possible players. When I look back they are no where to be seen. I scan intently both with my eyes and glass as I can see a long ways. Nothing. I howl again. Nothing... I begin to lose focus as I am nearing the 20 minute mark. They must have left I reason and I consider ending the stand but all of a sudden two coyotes just appear like ghostly apparitions in the sage not 40 yards distant. They bounce on my call and I move into action. But these are not young dogs and quickly know they've been fooled. They exit in haste dropping into the same hidden wash that covered their approach. They appear briefly on a ridge a few hundred yards distant and I attempt a foolish shot. Before the sear on my trigger broke I knew this was a wasted bullet, not to mention I just further educated two old dogs and alerted the whole area to my presence. I sit there in disgust with myself.... "You know better damnit!" I curse myself.
I pick up my pride and carry on... Another lesson revisited... The shadows are still very long I must get to my next location..
to be cont.